We're Meant To Be
by abbygrrl89
Summary: It’s been almost 3 years since he had seen her last and 8 months since he moved to the city, and not once has he called her to tell her his plan. Another RM fic. Take a look.
1. Ryan

**It's You and Me is almost over..so i decided to start off with a new fic. I hope you guys like it. **

**Disclaimer: I do not own ANY of the OC characters. **

Ryan Atwood walks through New York City alone as he makes his way towards Atwood Industries. After college, Seth pointed out that Ryan should start his own business. And Ryan suggested New York City.

"All the way in the East Coast?"Kirsten has asked him in disbelief. And he said yes. When they asked him why, his answer was, "I wanna try the four seasons thing." But they all knew the reason why Ryan would want to get away from Newport.

Marissa Cooper.

She left Newport to sail around the world with her father. "Only for a year and I'll be back." she had said. But a year passed and although she and Ryan talked on the phone occasionally, or e-mail now and then, they eventually drifted apart. Marissa told the family, one night she came to visit, that a friend of hers that she met in one of her excursions lived in Long Island. Her mother worked for Ralph Lauren and had offered Marissa a job.

Everybody knew that Marissa had always wanted to work for fashion. And she finally got the chance…so she took it.

For a while, they would call each other to see how things are going. But with college and the fact that they were on opposite sides of the country, the every day phone calls stretched to once a week, and then to once a month, to every couple of months, and one day it just stopped.

So Ryan's choice of New York City did not come as a shock to anyone. Although Kirsten was completely against it, the Cohen's, including Summer, supported him through out the whole thing.

It's been almost 3 years since he had seen her last and 8 months since he moved to the city, and not once has he called her to tell her his plan. He's also told everybody in Newport not to say anything to Marissa, in case she decides to call one day to check up on Julie, and Kaitlyn and Summer.

Almost every night, he would pick up the phone and recite her number a hundred times in his head until finally the operator tells him to hang up the phone and that would be it. And then, in the morning, he would be spreading cream cheese on his bagel and he would remember the times when they would be eating breakfast in the kitchen while Sandy and Kirsten sipped coffee with their backs against the counter, talking profusely about work and what they would have for dinner that night. And Summer would be on Seth's lap and Marissa would be beside him as they eat their bagels before heading off to school.

She was the first thing he'd think about when he wakes up and the last thing in his mind before he falls asleep. Because, in spite of everything…he still loved her. He always has and he always will.

His meeting isn't for another hour and yet he's already in the elevator, on his way to the 35th floor to his office. It's his daily routine, wake up at 6:30 in the morning, take a quick shower, read the paper for a few minutes and push aside any thought of her in his mind so he could make it a good and stress free day.

"Mr. Atwood! You're early!" his secretary says, looking up from her desk.

"I know, it's such a change, isn't it, Emily?" Ryan jokes.

"Ryan, the meeting's not for another hour, why don't you go and have breakfast or something?" she asks. They go through this every morning, and every time, Ryan would say no and lock himself in his office until someone comes along and actually decides to talk business.

"Again, Em?" Ryan utters with his famous half smile, "I'm not really that hungry. I've got some work to do anyway, so—

"Ryan, I'm your secretary, all the work you do, I know about. And I know that you have nothing to do until the meeting starts." Emily points out, "Now go and get some breakfast. Do you want me to call Jake so you'll have some company?"

Ryan lets out a small laugh and shakes his head, "I'm sure your husband has better things to do than eat breakfast with me."

"Nonsense. Go to the coffee shop and I'll tell him to meet you over there." Emily says and picks up the phone.

Ryan lets out a defeated sigh and makes his way out of the building once more.

**tbc...**


	2. Marissa

Marissa looks at her watch and realizes she's got some time to spare until she has to meet Josh for breakfast.

She puts her hands in her pockets and walks down a street in New York City. After 18 years in Newport Beach, she decided to start over and she picked New York; all the way in the east coast, away from the heat, from her family, from her past…away from _him._ The only man she ever loved.

She could still remember the look on his face the night she told them she would be moving away…for good. His look will forever be etched in her mind and she will never be able to forgive herself for it.

"I'm going away." She had said. And almost instantly, Ryan's face dropped and he looked at her like he was expecting for her to finish with something of better news.

But she didn't.

She told them that she'd be taking a job in New York for Ralph Lauren. Her friend's mom has offered her a job and it's her dream to work for fashion, so why not take it? But it would mean that she would be moving away.

Marissa didn't think of this as a catastrophe. She figured that she's made enough damage to herself and everybody else in Newport that it would a blessing for her family and Ryan.

The last time they talked was right after college, almost 2 years ago. Ryan had said he was going to start his own business but he didn't know where yet. Since then, they haven't spoken and whenever she and Summer talked, Summer would always avoid talking about Ryan.

Maybe he's move on, Marissa figured. He's probably engaged to someone and Summer just doesn't wanna tell me. Like Marissa doesn't wanna tell her about Josh. Her fiancée.

She met him through work and since then, they've been together. He's asked her to marry him a few months before, and Marissa didn't exactly say yes. From what she remembered, he just slipped the ring on her finger and kissed her passionately. And ironically enough, the only thing she could think about that night was Ryan. When he put the ring on her finger, Ryan's face came to mind and since then, she's been contemplating on whether or not she should call him.

She knows she shouldn't have kept the engagement going, but why shouldn't she want to marry Josh? He was successful, smart, good looking and he loved her. So what's the problem right?

Ryan.

As much as she hates to admit it to herself, she still loves him. More than anything, and it kills her that she's the reason they're not together. She's almost thankful that they've lost contact over the years because she knows that seeing him again, or even hearing his voice on the phone, would make it harder for both of them.

It's not that Marissa doesn't love Josh. Because she does.

She really does.

It's just that she knows that Josh doesn't make her heart go _kathump _like Ryan used to. And when she thinks about it, her heart _still_ goes _kathump_ whenever Ryan comes to mind.

Marissa turns the corner and sees the small coffee shop. She pulls her purse farther up her shoulder and decides she'll have a cup of coffee before meeting Josh.

Just as she was about to take another step, a familiar face comes into view, and her heart felt like it just leapt up to her throat.

"Oh my gosh." She whispers to herself.

Every memory, every inch of detail she remembers about him comes rushing back and for a second, her brain felt like it just shorted out, until she hears a small sound coming from her purse.

Snapping back to reality, she pulls out her cell phone, "Hi, sweetie…Yeah I'm umm…I'm on my way…"

She takes once final glance at Ryan who was now walking into the coffee shop and then turns around to go meet her fiancée.


	3. Trying To Move On

"I'll have a medium coffee please." He says politely.

The person behind the counter nods and walks off to take his order and then he looks at his watch. 8:14 am.

"That'll be $2.95, please." The cashier says with an obvious fake smile. Ryan hands her his spare change and walks off. _Coffee here is ridiculously expensive._

"Ry! Over here, man!"

Ryan turns his head to see Jake sitting at one of the tables by the window and he smiles and walks over to his friend.

"Hey." Ryan utters, holding out his hand.

Jake takes it and says, "You're early for work again?"

Ryan lets out a small laugh and shrugs, "Well, it's not like there's anything else I can do besides work." He says as he sits down.

"Ry, you're a rich guy in New York City, you're known all over the state, and you're not that bad to look at. I'm sure there's some girl out there who would be willing to let you take her out." Jake points out, taking a sip of his coffee.

Ryan looks down at his coffee and shrugs idly. He _could _start dating again. He hasn't seen Marissa in years and New York is a big city. They might never see each other again, and if Ryan never gets up the courage to call her, they might never speak to each other again.

"I guess dating again wouldn't be a bad idea, huh?" Ryan says with a small laugh.

Jake lets out a small sigh, "Look man, you've gotta move on from her."

Ryan looks at him, confused, "How'd you know?" he asks. He's never talked to Jake about Marissa before. The only person he's talked about her was Emily, and that was because Ryan got smashed at the office Christmas party and began to weep like a little baby in front her…

Jake lets out a laugh and takes a sip of his coffee, "My wife and I talk, you know." He points out. Ryan laughs and fiddles with the stirrer in front of him, "Tell you what, Ry. I've got this girl I work with, she's pretty great and I've known her for a while. How about I set you up with her?" Jake offers.

Ryan shakes his head and lets out a small nervous laugh, "No, man. I don't think I'm ready yet, I mean—

"Double date. So it's not all awkward." Jake points out, Ryan looks at him for a moment and then back at his coffee, "Come on, I'm not gunna take no for an answer."

Ryan lets out another uneasy laugh, and finally nods his head, "Okay, fine. Tomorrow night. Just a casual dinner at Devin Tavern."

Jake smiles and holds up his coffee cup, "Hear, hear."

Ryan returns the smile and he takes another sip of his coffee. Maybe tonight, he could call her, just to say hi, maybe take her out one night….to catch up…nothing more…

Or he can call Summer and ask _her_ to call Marissa to check up on her. Yeah, that sounds good. And that way he can say hi to Seth and Sandy and Kirsten too. It's so easy.

So easy.

As easy as it was to hear Marissa say she was leaving Newport for good. As easy as it was to go to New York City and start all over again. As easy as it was to let Marissa go.

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Marissa sits at a table by the window at Devin Tavern, mindlessly fiddling with a spoon while Josh was in the washroom. What's Ryan doing in New York City? Maybe this is the place he picked to start his business…she wouldn't know, she lived in Long Island. She's only in New York because Josh wants to have the wedding here and Marissa's always been bored of reading the newspaper so she doesn't even bother. If there were anything important, Josh would end up telling her about it.

_He still looks so good_. She thinks to herself. At this point Josh has already come back and has taken a seat in front of her. _How come he never called me? Maybe he has moved on…maybe he hates me for leaving…maybe—_

"Riss?"

Marissa snapped away from her thoughts and looks up at Josh, "Hmm?"

Josh lets out a small laugh and takes her hand in his, "You okay? You seem a little distracted."

Marissa forces a small smile and shakes her head, "Sorry, I was just…" she begins, but she doesn't think Josh would want to hear about how Marissa just saw Ryan, aka the love of her life, walking into a coffee shop and Marissa was too damn scared to walk up to him and say hi.

"It's nothing." She decides to say.

Josh looks at her almost suspiciously and then smiles, "Okay…well have you called your family yet?" he asks.

"For what?" she asks casually, taking a sip of her mocha latte frapuccino.

"For our wedding? You know the one that's coming up in a month?" Jake explains with a laugh, "They haven't replied to the RSVP yet."

"Oh, right." Marissa utters, remembering that she hasn't even sent them the invitations yet, but she doesn't have to tell Josh that, "Umm, I'll call them tonight." She says, her thoughts drifting back to Ryan.

Josh takes a sip of his coffee and then looks at his fiancée. "Babe, is anything wrong?" he asks sincerely.

Marissa looks at him, and seeing the worried look on his face, she takes his hand in hers, "I'm fine, Josh. I'm just…thinking about the wedding." She lies, "It's coming up really soon."

Josh lifts Marissa's hand to his lips and smiles, "It's okay to be nervous." He says softly, "I know it's a lot to take in. But everything's gunna be okay."

Marissa forces a smile. It's easy for him to say. He doesn't have an ex boyfriend that he still has feelings for running around the same city he's in.


	4. Phone Calls

**That night**

Ryan sits on his bed, staring at the phone as he plays Marissa's number over and over in his mind. Maybe he could call Seth for now. It's been a few weeks since they've talked on the phone and he could use a little Seth and Ryan time right now.

He dials the number and waits as he hears the ringing on the phone.

"Hello?"

Ryan's heart stops as he hears an all too familiar woman's voice on the other line.

"Hello?" she says again.

Finally, Ryan's brain begins working again and he hangs up the phone without a word. He throws his head back and closes his eyes. How could he have dialed her number? _Damn it, Ryan. Don't say her number over and over again in your head and then decide to call someone._

He looks at the phone again and recites Seth and Summer's number. He presses the buttons firmly, making sure he's dialing the right phone number this time and waits for Summer or Seth's voice to pick up the phone.

"Hey, man!" Ryan lets out a sigh of relief as he hears his best friend's voice.

"Hey, Seth. How's it going?" Ryan asks.

"Well, I still live in Newport…but all in all everything's going great." Seth replies and Ryan can almost hear the smile in his voice.

"How's Summer? Put your phone on speaker so I can talk to you both." Ryan says. He hears a small click and then hears Summer's voice.

"Chino!"

"Hey, Summer."

"How's NYC hm? Met any hot chicks yet?" Summer asks mockingly.

Ryan lets out a laugh, "Actually, my friend, Jake is setting me up on a date tomorrow night." He says with an "as-a-matter-of-fact" tone in his voice.

"Dude! That's awesome!" Seth says.

"Yeah, Chino. It's about time you start dating again." Summer says softly. Ryan can almost hear the disappointment in her voice. He knows that Summer's been rooting for him and Marissa to get back together but she knows better than to force Ryan to call Marissa.

"Thanks. But, umm, I wanted to ask you a favor, Summer." Ryan utters.

"Sure, what is it?"

"Can you call her? To just…I don't know…to see how she's doing?" Ryan says, hopefully. He doesn't even have to say her name anymore. His two friends know him well enough to know that _"she or her"_ only points to one person and one person only.

Summer lets out a sigh and Ryan knows that she's probably looking at Seth with a small smile, "Sure, but…Ryan, have you ever thought of calling her yourself? I'm sure she'd love to hear from you after all these years."

Ryan doesn't say anything.

"Look man, we'll call her. But will you at least try to give her a call one day?" Seth asks and Ryan closes his eyes, "Dude, we both know you still love her. And knowing Marissa, she probably still loves you too."

"Then why would she leave?" Ryan says in a serious tone, "If she loves me so much, why did she leave me in Newport?"

This time, it was Summer's turn to speak, "Because she probably thinks you'd be better off without her…after everything you guys have been through., she probably thinks she's done enough damage to your life that you deserve to have a break." She says softly, "Ryan…you know it's how she's wired. You wouldn't love her if it wasn't."

Ryan lets out a sigh and runs his hand through his short blonde hair, "Just give her a call for me…see how she's doing…and then maybe I'll call her one of these days."

"That's all we ask for, Chino." Summer utters softly.

Ryan smiles to himself, "Well, it was great to talk to you guys again." He says, "Tell Kirsten and Sandy I said hey, alright? I'll be visiting there one day soon."

"That's great, man. We're looking forward to it." Seth says.

"We love you, Chino." Ryan hears Summer says.

"I love you too. Now hang up already before we start getting all cheesy again." He says.

The couple laughs and finally hangs up the phone. Ryan smiles to himself and lets out a sigh. If only he had enough guts to purposely call her. Not just because he ended up dialing her number instead of his best friend's.

Finally, he lifts his legs up to the bed and pulls up the covers on himself. He lets out another sigh and reaches over to turn of his lamp.

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Marissa sits in her hotel room, over looking the city and lets the thoughts come. Josh wanted to spend the night with Marissa but she insisted that he goes out.

"You're only gunna be a bachelor for another month." She had told him, "Enjoy the time you have without me."

And with that, he left. Leaving Marissa to think about what she had seen earlier in the day. If she had been more careful about her decisions during her high school years, then who knows, maybe she and Ryan would've been getting married in a month. And instead of New York City, they would've stayed in Newport and raised their kids with Seth and Summer.

If Marissa hadn't shot Trey, she wouldn't have gotten kicked out of Harbor. And she wouldn't have gone to Newport Union and met Johnny. Johnny would have still been alive and she and Ryan would still be together. If only she had gone to Berkeley instead of sailing around the world with her dad. If only she had told Ryan she loved him…if only Ryan had told her to stay…

Would she have stayed?

No. Because she loved him too much to screw up his life even more.

So that brings her to New York. And to be frank, she's made a pretty good life for herself there. She's in management for Ralph Lauren, she has a nice apartment in Long Island and she's got a loving boyfriend by her side.

She feels horrible that she's thinking about Ryan when she's about to be married to Josh in less than a month. But you can't ever forget about your first love right? So it's not like she could help it. _Maybe I should give him a call…see how he's doing…_

Suddenly, her cell phone interrupted her thoughts. She looks down at the small screen, unknown name.

Curious, she opens her phone, "Hello?"

No answer.

"Hello?" she says again. Finally, there was a sudden click and then the annoying beeping when the line gets busy.

Confused, she shuts her phone and sits back down on the chair by the window, her thoughts drifting back to Ryan and Newport, and every memory she had from 3 years ago._ Maybe I could call Summer, and she can tell me how Ryan's doing._

And with that, she dials her best friend's number and then puts the phone to her ear.

"Hello?" Marissa hears Summer's voice on the other line.

"Hey, Sum!" she says happily.

"Coop! I was just about to call you!"

"You were? What for?" Marissa asks confused.

Silence from the other line.

"Summer?"

"Right, sorry. I just wanted to say hi." Summer lies, "See how my step sister/best friend is doing."

Marissa lets out a laugh, "Well she's doing great. How's everybody there in Newport?"

"Well, we're still in Newport right?" Summer jokes.

Marissa smiles, "Right. How's Seth doing? You guys married yet?" she asks jokingly.

"Yeah, right. As if he'll ever get up the courage to ask for my dad's blessing." Marissa lets out a laugh and absentmindedly fiddles with a small piece of paper, "How are you? I mean, have you met anyone?" Summer asks.

Marissa clears her throat uneasily, "Well, I've been busy with work, so it's not like I have a lot of time." She lies. She's not sure if she's ready to tell Summer yet. Even though the wedding is in a month.

"That's true."

"But, umm, how's Ryan doing?" Marissa asks, not wanting to mention what happened that morning just yet.

Marissa can hear Summer clearing her throat, "He's umm, he's doing great. He's gotten his own business up and running so…"

Marissa nods her head mindlessly, "Well that's good…is he umm, is he with anyone?" she asks.

"I'm not sure really." Summer says, not exactly telling the truth but not lying either, "He's pretty busy with work too, so I don't think he's got time to date around."

"Oh."

"Yeah, why don't you give him a call? I'm sure he'd love to hear from you." Summer suggests, trying hard not to be so obvious.

Marissa lets out an uneasy laugh, "Really? You don't think he hates me for leaving?"

"Please, Coop. That boy's still crazy about--." Summer clasps her hand on her mouth, before she lets out anything more.

Marissa's heart stops and she begins to try and process what Summer had just said, "What?"

"Nothing. I meant he's still….crazy." Summer utters.

Frustrated, Marissa lets out a sigh, "I saw him today, Summer." She finally says.

"What?" _Why wouldn't he tell us earlier that they saw each other?_

"Yeah, he was going into a café. He didn't see me." Marissa explains.

Summer makes a small "Oh" sound and thinks for a minute, "Why didn't you say hi to him?" she asks suspiciously.

"Well, my cell phone rang and it was Josh—

"Wait, who's Josh?"

Marissa's heart stopped and realized what she just said, "A guy from work." She replies. _I'm not lying to her. He is a guy from work._

"Oh." Summer says, "Coop, can I ask you something?" Marissa says yes, but not really wanting to answer it, "Do you still love him? Like, do you still think about him?" she asks, softness in her voice.

Marissa lets out a sigh, "Everyday…" she says, almost a whisper.


	5. Here Goes

Ryan walks out of the elevator and walks towards his secretary's desk, "'Morning, Em." He says nicely.

Emily looks up from her desk and smiles, "Well, good morning Mr. Atwood." She says.

"I told you not to call me that." Ryan utters with his famous half smile, "I feel so old, when you do."

Emily laughs and shakes her head, "Heard Jake is setting you up tonight. Excited?"

Ryan lets out a small laugh, "Very." He replies with a hint of sarcasm in his voice.

"Well, Andrea's a great girl." Emily points out, "If you give her a chance, then who knows. Maybe you guys will hit it off."

Ryan looks at her and sighs, "We'll see tonight, won't we?"

Emily nods her head, "You're still hung up on that girl, huh?" she asks.

Ryan laughs uneasily and shakes his head, "What do we have on the agenda today?" he asks, avoiding the question.

Emily lets out a sigh and looks back down at what she was working on earlier, "Well, you've gotta give Mr. Johnson a call about that clinic project for the East Village and there are some papers for you in your office from the government officials…" she says, flipping through a folder, "Not sure what it is…and then you have another meeting about the new housing development in Manhattan at 11:00." She finishes, looking up at Ryan again.

"Sounds good. I'll see you later, then." Ryan says as he begins to walk towards his office, "Oh, and if a Seth Cohen or a Summer Roberts calls, just put them straight through." He explains, remembering their conversation the night before.

Emily nods and Ryan smiles before shutting the door to his office.

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Marissa lies on the hotel bed, wide awake. "You guys are in the same city." Summer had said, "You still love him and he still loves you. I don't understand why neither of you wants to acknowledge that."

She reaches over to her night table and picks up the small piece of paper that read, "Atwood Industries 105 Sullivan Street. 555-7989"

Marissa lets out a sigh and sits up on the bed. She could stop by. She has to meet Josh at Alidoro's for lunch anyway and it's right on that street.

Her heart begins to race and the thought of her seeing Ryan again almost makes the room go hazy. She begins to re-live the times when she and Ryan were still together. Sure, it wasn't exactly the perfect fairy tale relationship but she loved him more than anything. There may never be another chance of them getting back together again, but at least he would be back in her life. And she would be more than happy for that to happen.

Marissa looks over at the clock. 9:53. If she could get ready in a half hour, she would have time to stop by to see Ryan and then meet Josh before 11:30.

Finally, Marissa gets out of bed and hops into the shower, scared more than she is excited. Seeing Ryan again felt so surreal and ironically enough, she remembers the feeling she had the first night she met him.

She was standing at the end of her driveway, waiting for Luke to come pick her up…and there he was with his black hoodie and his choker, smoking a cigarette. She remembers being so intrigued by his brooding bad boy image and the way those piercing blue eyes looked at her. She remembers how during the whole ride to Holly's house, the thought of the strange boy staying at the Cohen's house wouldn't leave her mind.

And almost 10 years later, there she is again. All those feelings come rushing back. She wondered if he was any different to how he was all those years ago. If he still smiled that half smile that made Marissa melt whenever she saw it. If his eyes still had that sparkle that made Marissa feel like he can see down to the depth of her soul.

She wonders if he still thought about her. She wonders if they saw each other again that he would still look at her the way he did all those years ago. If maybe…just maybe…he still loved her.

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Marissa looks down at the small piece of paper in her hand and then looks up at the building in front of her.

"This is it." She finds herself saying out loud, "Here goes…"

She walks into the building and stops, _He's really made a life for himself here._ She thinks, looking around. She walks over to the receptionist table and clears her throat nervously, "Hi, I'm umm…I'm looking for Ryan Atwood."

"He's up on the 35th floor. I'm not sure if he's busy right now, but you can talk to his secretary." The receptionist says politely.

Marissa nods and smiles before walking off to the elevator and presses the number 35. She looks up at the small screen and waits, "32…33…34…"

And finally, the door opens. Marissa gets out of the elevator and walks over to another woman behind a desk.

"Hi, I'm here to see Ryan Atwood." Marissa says nicely and she can feel her hand shaking slightly.

The woman looks up from the desk, "Mr. Atwood is behind closed quarters right now. But I can take a message for him." She says.

Marissa lets out a breath she didn't know she was holding and then clears her throat again, "Can you just tell him Marissa Cooper came by…I'm uh…" Marissa pauses. What exactly was she to Ryan these days? And finally, she shakes her head and smiles at the woman uneasily, "Never mind. I'm just gunna go…" she says.

The woman looks at her curiously and before Marissa could walk away, the woman says, "You're Marissa Cooper?" causing Marissa to turn around again.

"Do I know you?" Marissa asks, confused.

The woman looks at her for a moment and then shakes her head, "Umm, I'll get Mr. Atwood for you. Just hold on a second." She says before getting up and rushing towards another door.

Marissa stood in place, confused and wondered how that woman knew her and why she looked at her like she was some kind of freak.

**Thanks guys, for all the awesome reviews. I've been having soem major writer's block with "It's You and Me" but i'll keep trying I promise. Hope you guys like this chapter...they're finally gunna meet!**


	6. The Heart Yearns

Ryan looks over at the folder Emily had given him earlier and lets out a sigh. He begins to sign papers and reads them over and over again because he can't seem to stay focused on what he was reading.

Suddenly, there was a knock on the door, "Come in." Ryan says, still looking down at the papers.

The door opens causing Ryan to look up and he sees Emily standing in the doorway with a strange expression on her face, "Ryan, there's someone here to see you." She says softly.

"Can you tell them to just leave me a message, I'm kinda busy." He says with a small laugh, holding up the folder.

Emily's face doesn't change and she shakes her head, "No, Ryan, she's here to see you." She utters.

Ryan puts down the folder and looks at her, "Who's here to see me?" he asks.

"That girl…" Emily says, "Marissa…"

For a second Ryan felt like his heart just stopped and he stares at Emily, almost waiting for her to say she was just kidding, "What?" he finds himself saying.

"She's here to see you." Emily replies, "Marissa…she's here."

Ryan absentmindedly gets up from his chair and walks towards the door, "Are you sure?" he asks.

Emily nods her head, "She said she was Marissa Cooper."

Ryan lets in a deep breath and tidies up his shirt, "Okay…" he utters, "I'll be there in a sec."

Emily nods her head and walks out of the office, shutting the door behind her.

Ryan stares at the now closed door and thoughts begin to cloud his mind. _What is she doing here? Who told her I was in New York? What am I gunna say? Do I hug her? Damn it, this thing is choking me._ Ryan adjusts his tie and lets in another deep breath before walking towards the door.

He puts his hand on the knob and closes his eyes for a moment, "Here goes." He says out loud before turning the knob and slowly pulling the door open.

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Marissa watches as the woman slowly walks into another room and shuts the door behind her. She said Ryan was in "closed quarters" only moments before, why would she suddenly get up and get Ryan?

Marissa turns her head and sees a lounge and feeling like her stomach is still churning and her heart is still racing, she decided it would be a good idea to sit down.

She clasps her hands tightly together and lets her breathing go back to normal. Finally, the secretary emerges from the room and shuts the door behind her again before Marissa got to see anything behind it.

"He'll be with you soon." The woman says with a small smile. Marissa smiles back and nods.

_Calm down, Cooper. It's just Ryan. You already have a fiancée, remember? _Just as Marissa's heart begins to calm down and her hands stopped shaking, the door opens and there he was.

"Ryan…" she can hear herself saying…just not loud enough for anyone else to hear. She gets up from the chair quickly and forces a smile.

He smiles back. _Oh, my God, that smile._

"Marissa…" he finally says, but still not moving from his spot. _He doesn't wanna see me…damn it Cooper, what are you even doing here?_

"Hey." Marissa says, and she finds that even though she's never been more uncomfortable in her life, the smile could not leave her face.

Finally, he begins to walk towards her, and when he got there, his arms wrapped around her waist and Marissa begins to feel her knees start to get weak and the room seemed to get hazy. She could feel his warmth, and finally, she returns the hug and wraps her arms around his neck.

"It's great to see you." He says softly in her ear and finally, he lets go of her gently. Marissa felt herself shudder slightly once he pulled away and she can't believe how insanely cold she got once he left her touch.

"It's great to see you too." Marissa utters, trying to brace herself from the tears that were threatening to fall. "How have you been? It's been so long."

Again, with that half smile, "I know. But I'm doing great." He replies, sounding a little shy.

Marissa lets out a small laugh and nods, "I can tell." She says, gesturing around the room. "But, umm, you know what? You seem pretty busy right now." She finds herself saying, "So, we'll just—

"No, no." Ryan interrupts, "Em, can you cancel my meeting? And I'll finish those papers later." He says, turning to face his secretary.

"No, I don't wanna intrude. I'll call you and we can fix something up." She says, stepping up beside Ryan.

"Of course not." Emily says, "I'll cancel the meeting. And the deadline for those papers isn't for another week."

Ryan smiles at her and then turns to Marissa, "See, it's taken care of." He says, "Do you wanna get some coffee or anything?" he asks, sounding hopeful.

Marissa can feel her cheeks start to flush and she can't help but smile at the man in front of her, "Sure, that'd be great." She replies.


	7. I Know Blue

_She's right there. Good God, she still looks incredible. _Ryan shuts the door behind him and sees Marissa Cooper standing just a few feet in front of him.

"Marissa." Ryan finds himself blurting out. But he can't seem to move from his spot. He felt like it was just a dream and in two seconds she would disappear. But she doesn't.

"Hey." She says gently, making Ryan want to just run over to her and wrap his arms around her.

Finally, Ryan's feet begins to move and the next second, his arms are wrapped around Marissa's waist. At one point, he thought he can feel her heart beating fast against his own chest, but he shrugs it off and tells himself that she's just here for a friendly visit.

Now he can feel her arms around his neck and he relaxes a little bit because she feels so good against him and he realizes how much he missed the familiar sweet strawberry scent she carried around.

Ryan's mind begins to race and he's trying to figure out what to say without him sounding too obvious that he's been missing her like crazy since she left Newport.

"It's great to see you." He decides to say and he finally pulls away gently, not wanting to make her feel uncomfortable.

He sees her begin to form a smile and he can feel his heart begin to race, "It's great to see you too." She says to him, sounding sincere.

She asks him how he's doing and Ryan says he's doing great. But Marissa doesn't know that it's because, for the first time in years, Ryan felt like he can breathe again.

"You seem pretty busy right now." She says, making Ryan's face drop, _No! She can't go yet. Don't let her go yet, Atwood. Not yet._

"No, no." Ryan says, "Em, can you cancel my meeting? And I'll finish those papers later." He continues, turning to face Emily.

Marissa steps up and says she doesn't wanna intrude. _You're not intruding. I want you here. _Ryan thinks, but decides not to say anything like that yet.

"Of course not. I'll cancel the meeting and the deadline for those papers aren't for another week." Emily says, and Ryan smiles at her gratefully.

"See, it's taken care of." Ryan says, "Do you wanna get some coffee or anything?" He asks, wanting so bad for her to stay and talk to him.

And, almost as if God was listening to everything he was thinking, Marissa says yes. And Ryan felt like he was about to burst with joy.

ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

The two walks into a small café and ordered two hot coffees before sitting down at a table by the window. For a while, they talked about how each other were doing, about work, they re-lived memories from Newport, and Marissa was mildly surprised at Ryan, he usually wasn't one to talk, but I guess being a business man, you would have to learn the skill quite well.

Ryan looks down and notices a ring on Marissa's finger. And almost instantly, Ryan felt like his heart was just torn in two. "You're married." He manages to say. It was more of a statement than a question.

Marissa pulls her hand away, "Engaged…" she utters, correcting him, but she knows that the damage has already been made. She forces a small smile and then takes a sip of her coffee.

Ryan smiles back and Marissa can't exactly tell what his eyes were saying. "What's his name?" He asks.

"Josh." Marissa replies, trying not to sound too disappointed, and Ryan smiles again.

"What's he like?" he asks, his voice low and gentle.

"He's pretty great. Successful, smart and he comes from a good family from Long Island." Marissa utters.

Ryan nods his head and takes a sip of his coffee, "He sounds perfect for you." He says, "You deserve it."

Marissa smiles at him and he looks away, his eyes now focused on something outside. She looks down at her coffee and twirls the ring around her finger. And suddenly, her cell phone rings in her purse and Ryan looks in her direction.

Marissa looks at the small screen. It's Josh. And then she looks at the time. 11:40. She's late for their brunch.

"Go ahead." Ryan says with a small smile and Marissa smiles back before answering her cell phone.

"Hello? Hi…yeah sorry, I lost track of time…I'm with a…I'm with an old friend from Newport…yeah I'll be there soon…bye." And she closes her phone and looks at Ryan.

"Sorry to keep you. I didn't know you—

"It's okay." Marissa interrupts with a smile, "But, let's do this again. How about dinner tonight?" she asks, and hoping maybe they can clear some things up.

"I kinda have a…this thing tonight." Ryan says, sounding a little disappointed himself.

"A date?" Marissa asks with a small smile and Ryan nods his head.

"Yeah, but…tomorrow night?"

"Sounds great." Marissa replies, "So, I'll see you then?" she asks, getting up from her seat.

"I'm looking forward to it." Ryan replies, doing the same, and they hug goodbye.

When they pull away, Marissa smiles at him again and then walks out the door, leaving Ryan by the window, and he sits down trying to process what just happened in the last hour.


	8. What Are Secretaries For

_**Next Chapter. A friendly moment between Ryan and Emily. Drama is coming up really soon.**_

_She's engaged._ Ryan sits in the café by himself as he drinks his coffee and every once in a while, he would look outside and his mind begins to wander off. _You're too late._

Finally, he gets up from his seat and puts down a few bucks on the table. He gets out of the café and the cold January breeze blows against his face. He zips up his black coat and puts his hands in his pocket to keep warm.

He remembers back to his first year at Harbor, at the kick-off carnival. For once in his life, he opened up to a girl and it seemed to have worked. He smiles at the memory of him being so scared up on that Ferris wheel and yet, it had been one of the best nights of his life. Despite everything that happened afterwards, it had been one of the best.

He walks into his building and gets in the elevator and watches the numbers change, until finally, it gets to 35 and the door opens. He sees Emily sitting at her desk and begins to walk towards her.

Emily looks up from her desk and smiles, "So? How'd it go?" She asks.

Ryan forces a smile and leans back at the edge of the desk, "It was good to see her." He says plainly, not looking at her.

Emily frowns, "That's it?" she asks, "You guys haven't seen each other for 3 years and all you could say is 'It was good to see her'? Geez, Atwood, I thought you guys had a history."

Ryan lets out a laugh and looks at Emily, "She's engaged." He utters, and all of a sudden, that heart wrenching pain comes rushing back.

Emily looks at him sympathetically, "Oh. I'm sorry." She utters.

Ryan shakes his head, "Don't be." He says, "It should've been a given. She's moved on, and she's happy now. So I'm happy."

Emily lets out a sigh and looks at Ryan, "You think she's happy?" she asks.

"Well, yeah. She said he was a good guy." Ryan replies.

"Well, she is engaged to him, so he _should_ be a good guy, but do you honestly think she's happy?" she asks again, "I mean, you've known her for years right? Hell, you guys dated like a million times." Ryan laughs and Emily continues, "What did she say when she showed you her ring?" she asks.

"She didn't show it to me, I noticed it on her finger." Ryan explains.

Emily raises one eyebrow and nods her head, "Oh, I see. And what did she say?"

"Not much. I asked him his name. She said Josh. I asked her what he was like, and she said he was pretty great." Ryan explains, re-living the conversation and remembers the way Marissa pulled her hand away when Ryan mentioned the ring.

Emily makes a small "Ohhh" sound and nods.

Ryan lets out a laugh and thinks about it for a moment and looks at Emily, "I've got work to do." He says, but not moving from his spot at all.

"Look, Ryan." Emily begins, "You said you guys have this huge history right?" Ryan nods, "And your two best friends, who are also Marissa's best friends, say that Marissa left Newport because she probably thought she's made enough damage to your life and you deserve a break, right?" Emily asks, and Ryan remembers back to what Summer said and he nods, "Okay, and now, three years later, she suddenly comes back to see you, unexpected and you guys have this incredible hug…I saw it, I was there."

Ryan smiles, remembering how good it felt to hold Marissa again after all those years and then looks at Emily, "Okay, where exactly are you getting at?" he asks.

"Well, I'm just trying to piece things together, and speaking as a woman myself, I think, this girl still has feelings for you." Emily utters in an "as-a-matter-of-fact" tone in her voice. Ryan shakes his head and Emily continues, "Ryan, we both know that you still love her." She says, "At least tell her how you feel, and if she doesn't feel the same way, then fine."

"Yeah, easy for you to say." Ryan retorts.

"Well at least you'd know you could move on." Emily says softly, "Instead of wondering what could've happened."

Ryan looks down at his feet and imagines how he could even begin to explain what he feels about Marissa _to_ Marissa. It's not an easy task to talk about your feelings, especially for an Atwood, but he's done it before hasn't he? And it worked out pretty well.

"Talk to her, Ryan." Emily continues, "You owe yourself that much." Ryan nods his head

and Emily smiles, "Okay, now go and get some work done. We've still got a long day ahead of us." She says as she sits back on her chair and begins looking at papers.

Ryan lets out a laugh and looks at Emily, "Thanks, Em." He says softly, "I really appreciate it."

Emily smiles at him and nods, "What are secretaries for, right?"

Ryan returns the smile and walks into his office.


End file.
